Page 3 of Made for the Marquess (Second Sons of London 4)

Chapter Two

Kingwood, Essex—February 1816

Percy awoke witha start and immediately flipped to his side, grabbing hold of the pillow and burying his face into it as the scream tore from his mouth. His quick action allowed the unholy noise to be muffled so that only a small sound escaped. Slowly, he released the pillow and turned onto his back, feeling the sweat that drenched him.

He still had trouble sleeping after all these months away from the front and when he did, nightmares of the war came to him as if he had never left. He saw the charges. Smelled the blood. Heard the cries of the barely living. The scenes haunted him.

He wondered if he would ever escape the horrible memories.

Rising, he washed and padded naked to the chair sitting by the window. Though the room was chilly, he sat there, bare, hoping to cool his body before dressing and going to breakfast. He was in a routine now, for the most part, since his return to England almost seven months ago. He rose early and breakfasted. Met with Smith, his steward, though the man was on the verge of retiring. Percy had even gone for brief visits to the other two estates he had inherited, along with Kingwood, which was the country seat of the Marquess of Kingston. He had hoped one of those two stewards might transition to Kingwood and take Smith’s place. Instead, he found each of them fairly new to his position and not capable of handling the affairs of a larger estate.

He supposed once Smith retired that he would have to find someone to replace the man. For now, he asked that Smith stay on for a full year from Rupert’s death. That would give Percy time to glean as much information as possible from Smith, as well as look for an adequate replacement.

He’d had plenty of advice, thanks to the Second Sons who now resided in England, just one county south of him in Kent. Percy had visited each of his friends, meeting their wives and children. Spence, Owen, and Ev had all come to Kingwood, as well, riding the property with him and dispensing advice when asked. Having the trio only a few hours away by carriage brought relief to Percy.

Yet, at the same time, the three men he knew were very different. Oh, Spence and Ev were still a bit reserved and Owen was someone who had never met a stranger. Percy still felt comfortable in their company. Subtle differences had occurred, however. In part, he knew it was because of the titles the three men now held. They had gone from the duties they had fulfilled as officers in His Majesty’s army to taking on the responsibilities of their titles and all that entailed.

Moreover, all three men had wed and had children. In their visits together, he had come to know and appreciate the ladies he called the Three Cousins, who were now wed to his friends. They were remarkable women—and they had influenced their husbands in broad and subtle ways. Percy understood just how close all three men were to their spouses and how taken they were with not only their wives but their children.

He had never given children an ounce of thought. Nor marriage, for that matter. Yet he understood now that he was a marquess, it was his duty to find a wife and sire an heir to continue the Perry line for another generation to come. That fact had come out during each of his visits to his friends’ estates. Adalyn, in particular, told Percy she had a knack for placing couples of thetontogether and would be happy to help him find a bride.

That thought terrified him.

He might look in control on the outside, but inside he swirled with turmoil. The war had affected him in ways both small and large. What woman would want to be in his bed, only to be awakened by his screams and shouts? It also felt as if something were missing inside him. Never one to express his emotions, Percy felt dead inside. He didn’t seem to experience joy or happiness. It wouldn’t be fair to claim a wife and have her tied to life to a man who felt nothing. Yet he wanted to feel again. Live again. Perhaps, even love, as his friends did.

Of the three, Owen had been the one to pull Percy aside and tell him when he did seek a bride, to make sure he loved her. Owen admitted he had never truly believed in love, even seeing how besotted Spence and Ev were with Tessa and Adalyn. Once he had found it with Louisa, however, he understood what his friends had. Owen said he wanted that for Percy, too.

He thought he should ring for Huston and dress for the day. Owen and Louisa were staying at Kingwood for a few days, along with Margaret, their infant daughter. The three were early risers and would most likely be at breakfast soon. He and Owen were going to meet with the manager of Percy’s mill today and then Owen and his family would return to Danfield for a couple of weeks before making their way to town for the upcoming Season.

Percy dreaded the thought of the Season. Endless parties. Standing about talking with strangers he had nothing in common with. Dancing with young misses who would be dazzled not by him but his lofty title. Tessa had warned him about that, something Percy never would have considered. He didn’t even know how to dance. He supposed he had better learn by April, when the Season would begin.

The thought depressed him to no end. He had never been comfortable around others and froze up when meeting strangers. Socializing—and finding a bride—would be even worse than going to war.

He rang for Huston and the valet shaved and then dressed Percy for the day. He liked the servant simply because Huston said so little, merely performed his required duties. Huston had been with Rupert for many years, ever since his brother had left Cambridge. It had been Huston who had accompanied Rupert’s body back to Kingwood for burial. Huston who had dressed his master and sat beside the coffin. Upon visiting Rupert’s grave when he’d first arrived, Percy had found a bouquet of fresh flowers upon it, later discovering Huston placed an arrangement upon the grave weekly.

Percy left his bedchamber and went downstairs to meet his friends for breakfast. As he had guessed, Owen and Louisa were already present in the breakfast room, little Margaret cradled in the crook of Owen’s arm.

It had surprised Percy how involved his three friends were with their children. His own father had been kind but distant to his two sons and his mother paid him and Rupert very little attention. Sometimes, it surprised him how loving and open Rupert had turned out. Once again, he wished that his brother would have wed and provided an heir so that Percy wouldn’t be in the position of being the Marquess of Kingston and having to do so. Yet his brother’s death had allowed Percy to leave the army. For that, he was grateful, though he felt at times he barely clung to his sanity as it was.

“Good morning, Percy,” Louisa said, giving him a gracious smile.

“Good morning,” he replied, liking Louisa a great deal. She had tamed Owen and Percy felt that his friend would live up to all the potential within him, thanks to his sweet wife.

He looked to Owen, who was doing everything one-handed since he held Margaret in the crook of his arm. She was six months old now and beginning to learn she had a voice. Suddenly, she squealed and then smiled in delight at the noise she’d made.

Owen finished buttering a toast point and held it up to his daughter.

“Why don’t you gum this, my little love?” he asked.

“You know she only has three teeth, Owen,” Louisa pointed out. “She is going to gnaw on it at best.”

Owen smiled at his wife. “Then let her gnaw away.”

By now, Percy had gone through the buffet and put a few items on his plate, returning to the table. A footman seated him and another brought him a hot cup of tea. While most of his friends favored coffee in the morning, Percy still preferred tea. He wasn’t fond of the bitter taste of coffee, no matter how much sugar and milk he put in it. What passed for coffee on the battlefront was like drinking sludge. No, give him a cup of strong tea anytime. Even multiple times a day. It was one of the reasons he was grateful to be home again.

“What do you two have planned today since it is our last day at Kingwood?” Louisa asked.

“We are going to the mill,” Percy told her and launched into a brief explanation of their day.

---